How Hail Can compromise Your Roof

7/28/2022 (Permalink)

Hail storm in Llewellyn Park, NJ.

A healthy roof can protect your commercial property from storm damage in Llewellyn Park, NJ. Roof damage from a severe storm requires you to act quickly to avoid costly consequences.

How Can Hail Affect Your Roof?

Hail storms are typically not long-lasting, but they can severely compromise your roof depending upon various factors, including:

• Stone size
• Stone weight
• Stone shape
• Speed at Impact
• Roof material
  
  

Hailstones can have diameters up to three inches and weigh as much as a pound. They can form with jagged edges and travel over 100 miles per hour from thousands of feet above the ground. Damage occurs if these large stones land on your roof and puncture a hole through it.

How Can You Identify Hail Damage?
Roof damage following a hail storm is not always easy to recognize if it doesn't leave a gaping hole. Following a hail storm, it is necessary to conduct a roof inspection and look for the more subtle damage signs. Your roof may have damage if your gutters are out of place or dented or if they are not draining properly due to clogging from trapped hail particles. Dents in your building's siding following a hail storm are another good indication that your roof also has damage.

What Are the Consequences of Ignoring Roof Repairs?

Delaying roof inspections or hail damage repairs can lead to other issues affecting your building's interior. For example, a small hole in your roof can grow bigger if it remains unrepaired. As a result, water from the next rain or snowstorm could make its way inside. The result could be an obvious flood, water-soaked insulation or an accumulation of water within your building's interior walls. These scenarios can lead to secondary mold damage that would require immediate attention from a mold remediation service to decontaminate your premises.

If roof damage causes flooding at your building in Llewellyn Park, NJ, a disaster recovery service can undertake proper cleanup and sanitization.

How To Ensure a Fire Sprinkler System Is in Good Shape

7/12/2022 (Permalink)

A fire sprinkler system is a vital piece of fire prevention for your company

How to Check the Condition of a Fire Sprinkler System

A fire sprinkler system is a vital piece of fire prevention for your company. The goal of a sprinkler system is to save lives from fire and to reduce property loss. As with most modern technology, sprinklers are finely calibrated and engineered mechanisms. They activate when sensors detect heat or smoke. Water-based systems then spray water onto the incipient fire and, if all goes well, douse the flames. For the system to work properly, all of its many components need to be in good shape and operational. The NFPA 25 document provides the standards for the maintenance and inspection of fire sprinkler systems, fire pumps, and standpipe systems.

Quality Fire Suppression

Few devices offer better fire protection than a sprinkler system installed in your company in Glen Ridge, NJ. They must be designed, installed, and maintained to a high standard. An inspection should be conducted at regular intervals by knowledgeable personnel and should include the following components:

• Gauges
• Pipes and fittings
• Sprinkler heads
• Valves
• Connections
• Switches
  
  

Equipment should also be tested on a regular basis. If any irregularities are found, they should be fixed or the component should be replaced. Inspections and tests are also a good time to repair any errors from the installation process. A quality maintenance program ensures the integrity of the system and makes sure it will work as intended in an emergency.

Professional Fire Mitigation
Even a brief fire in your building can produce significant damage. A local fire remediation company can arrive on your property in less than four hours and begin the restoration process. If the sprinkler system went off, the technicians will begin a fire sprinkler cleanup. This involves removing the water from the building and drying out the property and the contents. If the fire sprinkler system worked as intended, the building is likely to have suffered very little fire damage. However, smoke and soot damage may still need to be cleaned up.

4 Tools That Can Help You Clear Your Clogged Drains

7/1/2022 (Permalink)

Clogs can happen in any pipe. When this happens, you must act quickly to avoid a pipe break, which will necessitate hiring a water restoration company

4 Tools That Can Assist You In Unclogging Clogged Drains

Any pipe can become clogged. When this happens, you need to act fast to avoid a pipe break that will require you to hire a water restoration company. Your first option is going to be to hire a plumber. However, this can be costly and inconvenient. Fortunately, there are a few DIY options when it comes to dislodging clogs. You will need to get the right tool for the job.

1. Plunger

The first tool most DIYers reach for to remedy clogged pipes is a plunger. These will remove clogs found in sinks, tubs, toilets, and more. You probably already have one of these in your home for emergencies.

2. Cable Auger

If you can't clear your clogged pipe with a plunger, the debris is probably a good distance into the pipe, and you will need to invest in a cable auger, also known as a drain snake. Any hardware store in West Orange, NJ, should have a range of snake options from 25 feet to 100 feet long.

3. Closet Auger

A closet auger is a snake that is specifically made for toilets. It will still come with a crank to help you work the tip down the toilet, but the cable will be housed in a shaft rather than a coiled spool. Also, the manufacturer will shape the tip so you can easily work it through the kinks in your toilet.

4. Electric Auger

Cloggs that are really far in your pipe or ultra-stubborn, you may want an electric auger. This machine will cut through any clog, even tough tree roots. Before using this, make sure you understand how to extend the cable and reel it back in safely.

Whether you can clear your stopped drain with a plunger or need the power of an electric auger, this DIY task is a great one to know. It can save you the time and money it would take to hire a plumber and help you keep your pipes clear.

How SERVPRO Headquarters Helps Its Franchises During Large Storms

6/22/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO works with businesses to design an Emergency Ready Plan that helps limit the damage caused by heavy rain and flooding.

SERVPRO Headquarters Assists Franchises During Major Storms

When severe weather damages office buildings, healthcare facilities, and centers of higher learning in Glen Ridge, NJ, these organizations need assistance quickly. Fortunately, SERVPRO’S headquarters can position Disaster Recovery Teams across the United States and Canada. Here is how SERVPRO’S corporate office helps their local franchises during large storms.

Create an Emergency Ready Plan

The best way to prepare for a large-loss event is to have a plan. SERVPRO works with businesses to design an Emergency Ready Plan that helps limit the damage caused by heavy rain and flooding. SERVPRO’S goal is to minimize the time that companies cannot operate.

Manage Storm Response

Once the call comes into their centralized Customer Care Center, SERVPRO coordinates restoration projects for large institutions through their Commercial Large Loss Division. These professionals draw upon resources including:

• Network of 1900 locations
• Local Program Manager backed by SERVPRO headquarters
• Highly trained restoration technicians

Assemble Disaster Recovery Teams

Because of their extensive network, SERVPRO can organize restoration resources and specially trained personnel to assist with large-loss storm events from multiple franchises. This capability means that SERVPRO locations from as close as across town to as far as the next state can contribute supplies and equipment, which magnifies their effectiveness and reach.

Address Storm Damage

Thanks to SERVPRO’S preplanning relationships and strategic marshaling of equipment, certified restoration technicians can get right to work on water-related disasters. These professionals waste no time placing tarps over openings in roofs and stacking sandbags to block rising water. To salvage and restore interiors, the technicians set large fans around the property to dry out soaked furniture and prevent mold growth.

Large organizations benefit from creating an Emergency Ready Plan to be prepared for a weather emergency. SERVPRO corporate can then quickly assemble and deploy Disaster Recovery Teams from its franchises to respond to severe storm or flooding events.

How SERVPRO Professionals Clean Damaged Documents

6/8/2022 (Permalink)

Call an experienced and skilled specialist in your Montclair, NJ area if you need to salvage papers that have been destroyed.

How Do SERVPRO Professionals Clean Documents That Have Been Damaged?

Whether from a fire or flood, many items in your Montclair, NJ, workplace are susceptible to damage. Many of these are highly sensitive, delicate, and important. If you want to salvage them and be able to use them again, you need to use an effective document restoration process. The good news is that highly trained and skilled professionals are available to restore even heavily damaged items. 

1. A Quick Response and Assessment
When it comes to document restoration, time is of the essence. You can't afford to let water, ash, smoke, or soot sit on your documents for long. Restoration companies will respond quickly to your call, usually within the first 24 hours. The team will inspect the extent and type of damage your items have suffered. 

2. Vacuum Freeze Document Drying
A common technique that technicians will use involves vacuum freeze-drying. This same technique is common in archive centers and with the most fragile documents. By doing this method of drying, technicians can safely remove any moisture on books, maps, files, and other critical materials. 

3. Gamma Irradiation 
Some disasters will expose documents to bacteria and harmful chemicals. To clean documents that have such contact, gamma irradiation is an effective treatment. SERVPRO technicians will sterilize the documents to reduce the risk of exposure and further damage. 

4. Digitization 
You work in an age where just about all records are digital. If you do not have digital backups of your files and paperwork, now is the right time to do so. This way, if a fire, flood, or other emergency damages or destroys your documents, you can still access them. This can also save storage space and give you peace of mind.

Document restoration can spare your business stress and grief. When you hire an experienced restoration company, it will use these techniques to save your materials. 

Why Mold Keeps Coming Back and What To Do About It

6/1/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO has a team certified to handle mold of all colors. We have the right equipment to clean it up, call us.

What Causes Mold Recurrence And What You Can Do About It

The second you discovered mold growth under a potted plant in the corner of the office, you jumped into action. You removed the plant, deep cleaned the area, and replaced the carpet. But a few months later, you noticed a mildew smell in the same spot. The mold is back! Repeat efforts gained the same result—returning mold. Now what?

Reasons Mold Returns

Mold is everywhere—indoors and outdoors. Spores settle in places where there is high humidity and moisture. If mold continues to return to the same spot, it is likely a sign of a leak or more extensive water damage than you previously realized. Although you replaced the carpet under the plant, the subfloor could be holding moisture. There could also be a leaking pipe behind the wall near the plant where mold is happily continuing to grow.

How To Prevent Mold Regrowth

Long-term mold prevention might require some effort and expense up front. The most important thing to know is that mold is very difficult to clean entirely without the proper training and tools. Therefore, the very best option for getting ahead of mold growth is to call a commercial mold damage specialist in Upper Montclair, NJ to come and evaluate your building:

• Evaluation: The professionals will use special tools, such as thermal imaging cameras, to look for potential leaks behind the walls.
  
• Containment: They will seal off the affected area and clean thoroughly.
  
• Removal: Any damaged materials will be securely removed from the premises to prevent the spread of mold spores.
• Restoration: Areas that have damage will be completely restored. This could be as simple as new dry wall after fixing a leak, or a more extensive reconstruction of an area that is susceptible to continued water damage.

Battling mold growth, whether in a small area or a large one, is a big job that is best left to the professionals for the long-term benefit of your business.

Special Techniques That Aid Recovery After a Storm

5/1/2022 (Permalink)

With industry-leading techniques and advanced equipment, SERVPRO professionals can quickly and efficiently restore your building after a flood.

Special Techniques For Post-Storm Recovery

While your commercial building in Montclair NJ, might seem indestructible, in reality, it is at risk of powerful storms. Thunderstorms unleash lightning and high winds, while tornadoes produce winds of more than 100 miles per hour. As recent events have shown, hail storms can be truly destructive. Hurricanes often generate torrential rains that lead to flooding. All of these weather events put your facility at risk of damage. Fortunately, an experienced storm remediation company has the equipment and the knowledge to bring your company back from disaster. They often use specialized techniques during the restoration phase.

The Execution of a Tear Out

When water inundates your building, many materials become saturated with moisture. In some cases, normal drying is not sufficient, and a technique known as a flood cut is employed for repairing drywall and wall insulation. In the aftermath of flooding, technicians will perform the following actions:

• Remove all standing water
• Cut the drywall 12 inches above the flood line
• Remove all damaged wall insulation
• Completely dry out the area with fans
• Replace new insulation and drywall

This must be done to remove any contamination caused by floodwaters. It ensures the drywall and insulation will not later produce unpleasant odors or result in mold growth.

The Utilization of Professional Cleaning Methods

A professional restoration company will also use many different methods of cleaning and sanitizing areas of a building as well as the contents of a building. While some items such as clothes might need dry cleaning techniques, other items such as non-porous items can benefit from abrasive cleaning or foam cleaning. The technicians will determine the best method of cleaning for each item, and they will use a restore versus replace mentality when possible.

The recovery of your facility from flooding is a complicated process. Trained professionals can restore your building quickly and efficiently with industry-leading techniques and advanced equipment.

How to Handle Damaged Electronics After a Fire

4/30/2022 (Permalink)

Cleaning up after a fire is a critical step in the restoration process. Many of your belongings can be saved if you treat them properly after a fire.

How To Deal With Damaged Electronics Following A Fire

A fire in your house in Verona, NJ, can have a large impact on your property. Not only is the building affected, but the belongings inside are often damaged as well. Even if the flames do not touch these items, smoke can cause problems, particularly for electronics. The following are some steps you can take to salvage these important devices during fire cleanup.

1. Unplug or Turn Off Your Devices

If any of your electronics are still on, turn them off if it is safe to do so. If smoke has gone inside of these objects, it can carry soot and contaminants throughout the devices. Heat and air circulation can make it easier for corrosion and permanent damage to occur if they are still on.

2. Clean the Exterior

While smoke damage can be more devastating to the inside of your devices, you should still take care to remove any residue from the outside. A wet rag is often enough for the exterior of objects with hard surfaces.

3. Drain Wet Electronics

If the fire was severe, then a hose was likely used to put out the flames. In this case, a cleanup and restoration service will need to remove water from the building before fire cleanup begins. Affected devices should be drained and dried as quickly and thoroughly as possible.

4. Have Them Inspected and Repaired

Whether they have been affected by water or smoke, your devices can be irreparably damaged if you attempt to use them before these elements have been completely removed. It is best to bring them to a professional for an inspection and any necessary repairs to make sure they are safe to use.

Fire cleanup is an important step in the restoration process. Many of your belongings can be salvaged after a fire, if they are treated in the right way. With the help of professionals, you can have your electronics ready for use again in no time.

When Flushing Your Toilet Leaves Water on the Floor

4/26/2022 (Permalink)

Contact SERVPRO to determine the cause of your toilet leak, make any necessary repairs, and help prevent further problems.

When Flushing The Toilet, Water Remains On The Floor

No one wants to flush the toilet, only to find water leaking out onto the floor around it. In most cases, however, a leaking toilet isn't cause for alarm and is usually an easy fix. All you need to do is figure out what's causing it and take steps to remedy the problem. Here's what to look for:

Take a Look at the Wax Seal

At the base of the toilet is a wax gasket that creates a seal between the toilet and the floor. Normally, when the seal is tight, the water flows straight down into the pipe when you flush. However, if the wax dries out and becomes brittle, it can develop cracks or pull away from one or both surfaces, allowing water to escape out from under the toilet base. If that's the case, it's as simple as replacing the old gasket with a new one.

Make Sure the Tank is Tight

If the toilet tank isn't on there tight, water can escape from the juncture where the tank meets the bowl of the leaking toilet. Try wiggling it — the tank shouldn't move. If it does, it needs to be tightened. Turn off the water supply and empty the tank as much as possible. Then, tighten the bolts inside to secure the tank firmly to the bowl.

Check the Tank Flange

The flange is the mechanism inside the tank that allows the water to fill and empty into the toilet. If the arm piece is broken, you can use a repair strap to fix it, or, in the worst-case scenario, replace the mechanism altogether. It should go without saying, but don't do anything to address your bathroom leak without shutting off the water supply first. If the steps outlined above aren't causing your leaking toilet, it's a good idea to call in professionals to fix the problem.

Contact a plumber or a water damage specialist in Upper Montclair, NJ, to determine the cause, make the repairs necessary and help you prevent any further issues.

5 Ways To Protect Your Business From Flood Damage

4/18/2022 (Permalink)

Owners have the power to minimize flood damage, but it requires forward-thinking and proactive approaches.

5 Ways To Prevent Flood Damage To Your Business

Commercial owners in Montclair NJ, do not have the ability to stop Mother Nature's rising waters; however, proprietors do have the authority to fight off flood damage. By taking time to evaluate the property, it's possible to minimize harm. The following are five ways to take action now.

1. Raise the Electrical Outlets

When inclement weather occurs, moisture could infiltrate the building from the roof and through the floor. This storm damage exposes electrical wiring to fluid. To avoid this contamination and the cost of fixing an entire electrical system, consider relocating outlets and major wiring systems to a higher location. Floods can rise use to several feet. Place these openings further up, at least 12 inches above the base flood elevation zone.

2. Invest in Barrier Protection

The incoming water is hard to fight off unless the perimeter has been protected with a watertight product. Keep a supply of sandbags or flood-protective material on hand. Line these around the weaker areas, especially doors and windows. Ensure they are at least 3 feet or more depending on the establishment's placement in the flood zone.

3. Safeguard the HVAC Unit

A ruined HVAC unit is expensive to replace, and it's one of the objects likely to incur flood damage if it sits on the ground at a low level. Move it to the roof or a higher floor.

4. Enhance Landscaping

Ward off flooding by planting flowers and shrubs along the business's perimeter. Use local greenery that thrives in the area's soil. The roots assist in maintaining appropriate soil levels and easing drainage issues.

5. Have a Generator

The sooner a water and flood restoration company begins cleanup efforts, the better. A generator allows for workers to get into the place faster and begin drying out the soaked material.

Owners have the power to minimize flood damage, but it requires forward-thinking and proactive approaches. Be open to changing devices' locations and consider methods to secure the area from water infiltration. Doing these things could save time, stress and money.